


I’m Home

by onlyhereforellick



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Post Ep 17x14, fic request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23123056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: And with that she left. Only moments after hearing his hospital door click shut did the tears flow freely. Ellie had never felt so alone- and Nick had lived. What if he had died...
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	I’m Home

**Author's Note:**

> 16 - “Stop talking.”  
> 19 - “It hurts to see you cry.”  
> 20 - “It’s three in the morning…”
> 
> for the anon on tumblr

Ellie had released his hand much earlier than she truly desired. She would’ve gone on holding his hand for hours- days even. But the moment Nick injected humor into the seriousness of the conversation—almost a defensive mechanism of sorts from letting himself really, truly _feel_ —Ellie was done. Currently, he was rambling on about some joke implying he was such a badass that didn’t need to jump out of the way- the cars moved for him. Or something to that extent. Her nerves were frayed- emotions spent, his jokes were but a low buzzing to her ears. The fact that he could make light about a near-death experience...

“Nick!” She interrupted a little more forcefully than planned, his eyes widening a fraction at the surprise, “Just. Stop talking.” Ellie shook her head to clear the low hum still present, while Nick looked on speechless- clearly taken aback by the turn of events.

Suddenly Ellie had the sudden urge to bolt, to run away. The tears she’d held at bay for days now threatened to escape at Nick minimizing just how big a deal this was to him _and her_. Jumping from the side of the hospital bed, her eyes shifting anxiously around the room before settling on his still surprised face, mouth slightly agape. “I- I gotta go, Nick. I’m glad you’re awake.”

And with that she left. Only moments after hearing his hospital door click shut did the tears flow freely. Ellie had never felt so alone- and Nick had lived. _What if he had died..._

* * *

A small knock at her apartment door broke Ellie’s swirling thoughts. Carefully extricating herself from the mass of blankets as she set down her now lukewarm cup of tea, Ellie wiped at her eyes, hoping the last of her tears were gone without a trace.

A peek at the peephole revealed exactly who she thought would be knocking at her door in the middle of the night—Nick.

She undid the double deadbolt and cracked it open a notch, cautious to let him in all the way— _she’d seen how that had gone earlier..._

A wayward sniffle escaped despite her trying to sound strong, “What are you doing here, Nick?”

He deflected and managed to look ashamed at the same time, “C-can I come in?”

Resigned to this talk on literally no sleep, Ellie pulled open the door the remainder of the way and turned her back to walk towards the small kitchen table. Unceremoniously plopping into a seat she waited silently for him to say what he had to say so she could kick him out.

The chair gently scraped the linoleum as Nick pulled it out and the sound echoed in the apartment- eerily similar to how Ellie felt—empty.

His eyes roamed over her features for quite a while before he spoke again, “It hurts to see you cry.” He swallowed and she swore his voice cracked at the next part, “I’m so sorry I made you cry, Ellie.”

She felt her eyes prick with moisture but refused to let them fall. She’d be damned if she cried over Nick Torres for a millionth time tonight when he clearly hadn’t cried once. So, taking a page out of his own book, she deflected. The bitterness in her tone evident as she repeated her earlier question, “It’s three in the morning...why are you here, Nick?”

She noted the deep, fortifying breath he took in before explaining. His voice confident and shaky all at the same time. His hand hesitating as it reached out to hers resting on the tabletop before committing to its goal of grasping it. A sharp inhale at the dejavú from the hospital only hours before, Ellie snapped her eyes from their combined hands to his eyes- in her heard, daring him to finally voice his feelings.

Nick sounded more sure than she’d ever heard him, “I was scared, Ellie. Scared of getting in to deep. Scared of the delicate nature of life- of love—“ he paused at that word to squeeze her hand, the motion and timing not lost on her.

“But...” she offered.

The earnest look in his eye told her everything, yet she needed to hear it directly from his mouth. “But not anymore. With you- I’m not scared. With you- I’m home.”


End file.
